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Stella Prize 2014 longlist announced

Thursday, 13 February 2014
The longlist for the second Stella Prize has been announced. This year’s longlist features six works of fiction and six works of nonfiction. The longlisted titles are: Letter to George...

Koala Books calls for picture book submissions 

Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Children’s book publisher Koala Books is calling for picture book submissions for the first time since it was acquired by Scholastic in early 2013. Koala Books’ ‘Picture Book Festival of...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 12 February 2014
‘Let’s improve it, by all means, but let’s not transform it into a hub’—Author and Giramondo Books publisher Evelyn Juers argues against proposed changes to the State Library of NSW’s...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 10 February 2014
The film tie-in edition of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Picador) remains in number one spot on the bestsellers chart this week, followed by the film tie-in edition of The...

CBCA conference program announced

Monday, 10 February 2014
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the program for this year’s national conference, to be held in Canberra from 16 to 18 May. This year’s conference, entitled Discovering National Treasures,...

Wombat Books launches YA/adult imprint Rhiza Press 

Friday, 7 February 2014
Children’s publisher Wombat Books has launched a new imprint called Rhiza Press to publish ‘family friendly’ titles for readers over the age of 14, including YA fiction, adult fiction and nonfiction.Rhiza...

QUT becomes Australian partner of The Writing Platform

Friday, 7 February 2014
The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has invested in UK-based The Writing Platform, becoming the Australian partner of the platform. The Writing Platform was established in 2012 by The Literary Platform,...

Arcade Publications closes 

Thursday, 6 February 2014
Melbourne-based publisher Arcade Publications has announced the closure of its business after five years. Arcade announced at the end of January that it will not be publishing any new titles....

St Leger appointed chief executive of Copyright Agency 

Thursday, 6 February 2014
Murray St Leger has been appointed chief executive of the Copyright Agency.St Leger, a former managing director of McGraw-Hill Australia and former president of the Australian Publishers Association, has been...

Wellington bookstore to close 

Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Parsons Books & Music in Wellington will close in March after 66 years of trading. The Lambton Quay store was opened in 1948 by Roy Parsons and was later handed...

Readings announces new book awards

Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Independent Melbourne bookseller Readings has announced that it will present two new literary awards to Australian authors this year. The Readings New Australian Writing Award will be presented for an...

Bolinda partners with Walker Books on audiobooks, ebooks 

Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Bolinda has formed a publishing and distribution partnership with Walker Books to co-publish new release audiobooks, distribute backlist audiobooks and distribute digital content, including ebooks, via its BorrowBox platform.The partnership...

Quote of the week 

Wednesday, 5 February 2014
‘I have changed covers and titles for Big W—it might mean a thousand sales. It’s literally been a case of me getting to say “stop the presses” but these chains...

ABA delegation travels to Seattle booksellers’ conference 

Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) CEO Joel Becker, ABA president and managing director of ALS Library Services Patricia Genat, and booksellers Leesa Lambert (The Little Bookroom), Tim White (Books for Cooks)...

Booktopia celebrates 10 years 

Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Australian online bookseller Booktopia is celebrating its 10th birthday this month. The business, which was voted Australia’s Favourite Bookshop in 2013, was opened on 4 February 2004 by CEO Tony...

Ariel Books closes The Rocks store

Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Sydney independent bookseller Ariel Books has closed its store in The Rocks after 15 years of trading.Manger Julia Blanks told Books+Publishing that the main reasons for the closure were ‘the...

Elliott wins Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal 

Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Dunedin children’s book illustrator and author David Elliot has won the 2014 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, awarded annually for lifetime contributions to New Zealand children’s literature.  The award recognises Elliot’s...

RMIT, CAL announce inaugural WrICE fellows 

Tuesday, 4 February 2014
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the Copyright Agency (CAL)’s Cultural Fund have announced a new Asia-Pacific fellowship program for Australian writers. As part of the inaugural Writers...

Rights round-up 

Tuesday, 4 February 2014
SalesChildren’s—Hardie Grant Egmont and Little Hare have sold Canadian (English language) rights to Zac Power: Boot Camp and Zac Power: Swamp Race (HI Larry); German rights to Zac Power: Lunar...

UWA Publishing launches scholarly imprint 

Monday, 3 February 2014
UWA Publishing has launched a scholarly imprint called UWAP Scholarly.The imprint launched in January with two books, After Homosexual: The Legacies of Gay Liberation edited by Carolyn D’Cruz and Mark...

Catton signs TV deal for ‘The Luminaries’

Monday, 3 February 2014
Eleanor Catton has signed a deal to help create a television miniseries adaptation of her Man Booker Prize-winning novel The Luminaries (Granta), reports the Sunday Star-Times. Catton said she intends for the series...

Bestsellers this week 

Monday, 3 February 2014
Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief (Picador) occupies the top two spots in this week’s bestsellers chart. The film tie-in edition is at number one for the third week in a row,...

WAYRBA 2014 shortlists announced 

Monday, 3 February 2014
The shortlists for the 2014 West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awards (WAYRBA) have been announced.The shortlisted titles in each category are:Older readers Pathfinder (Scott Orson Card, Simon Pulse) Summer’s Dream...

Express Media announces Hologram winners

Friday, 31 January 2014
Express Media has announced the winners of its Hologram book-publishing initiative for young writers.The successful novellas are No Limit by Holly Childs and The Loud Earth by Elisabeth Murray. Both...

Indie Awards 2014 shortlists announced

Thursday, 30 January 2014
The shortlists for the 2014 Indie Awards, presented by Leading Edge Books, have been announced. The shortlisted titles in each category are:Fiction Barracuda (Christos Tsiolkas, A&U) Coal Creek (Alex Miller, A&U)...